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The last few months have been very busy around here. Having just attended three shows, I’ve had the opportunity to speak with truckers from one side of the country to the other.

Here in Ontario, the speed limiter issue is the absolute number one topic of conversation. If you are a regular reader, I hope you’ll agree we’ve done a good job in giving you the complete picture. The issue is complex and there are good arguments both for and against.

Some people mistake us as a lobby group. In reality, we aren’t even close. Our job is to give you unbiased editorial information based on the facts. The way you interpret those facts is of course up to you and should be the foundation of your opinion. Of course we’re going to have an opinion, but the stances of our individual editors and columnists appear where they should, in their columns. We have published dozens of editorial comments, again both pro and con, and I feel that the issue has been dealt with fairly.

All said and done, it’s probably going down in the books as the single most controversial trucking legislation of our time.

Many have asked my opinion. To avoid being referred to as Rob ‘Which way is the wind blowing?’ Wilkins, I’m going to tell you.

To be honest, I am not a big fan of legislation dictating fundamental business practices or policies. Usually small businesses are hit the hardest by legislative induced change (witness the Ma and Pa restaurant bankruptcies when the non-smoking legislation kicked in a few years back. Most restaurants lost considerable business in the beginning but over time that business did come back. If those smaller operations could have weathered the storm for the first few months they’d probably still be in business). Small businesses don’t have the luxury of a high cash flow and unfortunately a blip can cause some real problems.

I suppose it’s the fact that you are being told how to run your business that I don’t appreciate (the key being your). My position is that if it’s good for an 18-wheeler it’s got to be good for a fourwheeler. Limit all vehicles (including motorcycles) and see what that does to the highway fatality rate. It’s too bad, really. This industry has enough trouble attracting new talent. The fewer controversies the better.

– Rob Wilkins is the publisher of Truck West and he can be reached at 416-510-5123.